Mar 11, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (5) dribbles against Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead (23) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
This is a revenge game for the Toronto Raptors. Sort of.
Some have said that the Raps’ last loss to the Pelicans and the brutal staredown Jamal Shead suffered at the hands of Dejounte Murray were the catalyst to the Raptors getting their act back together and winning three games in a row. This game is a rematch to see if, indeed, the Raptors took any lessons about team cohesion and toughness to heart.
Both the Raptors and Pelicans find themselves in ironically similar circumstances finishing out the regular season. The Raps’ road trip has finally come to an end with a loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers, while Nola is walking off a loss to the Pistons. Both teams have been middling of late, going .500 in their last 10 games. While the Pelicans have been mathematically eliminated, they found themselves at the 11th seed, just outside of the postseason, while the Raptors are fighting to hold on to their playoff berth, jostling with the rest of the East for the 6th seed. More similarities abound, with the Raptor and Pelicans playing without their starting point guards, as Immanuel Quickley and Dejounte Murray are both missing tonight’s game due to injuries.
The Raptors are no strangers to thrashing bottom of the conference opponents, with their most recent handiwork being the dismantling of the Utah Jazz on Monday. It’s been a matter of public record that the Raptors kill teams worse than them and fumble games against the best in the league, and this looks to be no different of a situation. The loss of Quickley’s shooting and facilitating is of course a blow to Toronto, but the recent heroics of Ja’Kobe Walter make this the best time to be dealing with that deficiency. Walter has been fantastic from long range of late, and his shooting throughout March has been a standout part of a Raptors team that has left much to be desired. Jamal Shead has been a more than solid backup ball handler, and has great potential to show out tonight. The Pelicans are playing without a number of starters, their guard depth especially weak tonight, suggesting the need of a scoring explosion from Zion Williamson to keep the Pels in the game. Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles should match up well with the bowling-ball forward, who was held to only 19 points during their last matchup.
With Murray out, however, some of the narrative of this game has had the wind taken out of it. Shead, likely to start, won’t get a chance to avenge his staredown on the court. The best thing the Raptors can do to show the Pelicans that they mean business is to play tough defense, avoid giving up early leads, and preventing either of Jeremiah Fears or Derik Queen from getting hot, as they’ve been able to do throughout the season. Is a rose by any other name just as sweet? Maybe it is, when the rose is a potential win this late in the season.
Game Information and Details
Game Time: 8:30 EDT
Watch On: SportsNet
Injury Report
Raptors: Immanuel Quickley (Out – right foot plantar fasciitis)
The 2026 men's NCAA Tournament is down to its Sweet 16 and we'll have a Final Four by Sunday evening. For half of the college stars taking the court this weekend, it's one final opportuniy to impress NBA teams with their play at full game speed when the lights are brightest as this year's draft class comes into focus.
The 2026 NBA draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY's latest mock draft, Duke's Cameron Boozer is expected to go in the first round. Here's how USA TODAY currently projects the forward's draft night will play out.
Our draft order is based on ESPN's projected records and factors in trades, including swaps and protections.
Duke freshman Cameron Boozer was one of the best players in college basketball during his first NCAA season and now makes his USA TODAY mock draft pole position debut. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, rival teams believe Boozer would be the "preferred selection" for the Pacers at No. 1 overall because of his "potential fit" alongside Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac. The ACC Player of the Year isnt a human highlight reel but he offers consistency and a diverse, impactful skill set. More importantly, he can bring a culture of winning after multiple championships in high school and an elite Duke team that has made it to the Sweet 16.
CLEVELAND, OH - MARCH 3: Jarrett Allen #31 of the Cleveland Cavaliers run on to the court before the game against the Detroit Pistons on March 3, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen is expected to make his return to the starting lineup, per head coach Kenny Atkinson in his pre-game press conference.
It’ll be the first time Allen has appeared in a game since early in the month, when he left their March 3rd game against the Detroit Pistons with what was initially described as a “knocked knee”. Turns out it was a little more serious than that.
The team expects Allen to play with a minutes restriction “in the mid-20s”, per Atkinson. The Cavs have missed Allen on both ends of the floor, with his paint protection and ability to finish efficiently at the rim on offense. His absence has made the Cavs more of a three-point shooting team, which does not play as well in the head coach’s mind.
“His rim presence offensively, I think sometimes without him, we become too perimeter oriented,” Atkinson said prior to the team’s game against the Miami Heat. “I hope we get some reps with this little runway to run with that big lineup, because that’s our best lineup, and we haven’t seen a lot of the combinations that can go around that,” Atkinson continued. “So at least we’ll get some games under our belt before the playoffs start.”
The Cavs have been tinkering with different lineups all season, but with now single-digit regular season games remaining, it’ll be important to get some consistency going. That goes for the defensive side of the ball as well.
“Opposing teams’ rim attempts go down when he’s in the game, he’s like a seven-foot goalie — he just deters, guys don’t want to challenge him,” Atkinson said when asked about Allen’s impact on what he himself has described as a subpar defense of late.
“It starts at the rim with him on both ends, I keep saying it, he’s been the best rim protector in the league post All-Star.”
The Cavs had another poor showing on the defensive end in their last game out, also against the Heat. Allen’s return, even if for 23 minutes, will have an impact on both ends of the floor. And with the playoffs approaching, the team needs the continuity in the rotation for the final stretch of the regular season.
San Diego Padres starter Joe Musgrove was in the bullpen during team introductions on Opening Day. Along with the rest of the starting pitchers, Musgrove was there to support Nick Pivetta before his start. He had already done his work for the day, revealing in pre-game interviews that he has begun playing catch.
Musgrove started an exhibition game against the Great Britain World Baseball Classic team on March 4 and hasn’t appeared in a game since. He had a bullpen on March 8 and hadn’t thrown since then until this week. He revealed that an MRI was done on his repaired right elbow about two weeks ago and showed no new issues.
In his usual effort to be honest and forthcoming, Musgrove was unwilling to put any timeline on his progression to returning to pitching. He knew that what he was feeling during spring work wasn’t what he wanted his arm to feel like but kept hoping that things would improve and he would “breakthrough.” That never happened and it was decided to put his throwing program on pause, giving his arm a chance to rest and recover from the inflammation that seemed apparent.
President of baseball operations A.J. Preller seemed optimistic when speaking about Musgrove’s status:
“It’s not like he’s been down for six to eight weeks, so hopefully he can get going here,” he said Thursday in his media availability. “But we’re not going to really know until he gets through days like today, where he starts to play catch and he puts some volume on what he’s doing and he starts to build up innings and we’re seeing the bounce-back.” – Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union Tribune.
Musgrove also spoke in the clubhouse during Thursday’s media time.
He will have to progress from playing catch to bullpen sessions and then to live BP and a minor league or sim game appearance before considering building up to be able to start a Padres game. Common sense would lead one to think at least a May/June comeback if all goes well.
He emphasized that this was an expected development in his progress back from surgery but he had hoped it wouldn’t happen. His 15-day IL stint was back-dated to March 22. By not putting him on the 60-day IL it seems they are hopeful for a quicker bounce-back.
Yu Darvish goes on the Restricted List
Preller also discussed the status of Yu Darvish on Thursday. The Padres placed Darvish on the Restricted List on Wednesday. . He will not collect any salary for the 2026 season and will have limited contact with the team during this season. His desire is to rehab on his own and at his own pace but in consultation with Padres medical staff. He will have no commitment to being at Petco, travel with the team or be around the team before or after games. He wishes to break from the routine of the set rehab and spend more time with his family and handling his recovery himself.
Darvish has not announced his retirement and Preller explained that there will be a reassessment of his status as he gets further down the road in his rehab. He also stated that Darvish is on track with is rehab so far. The team has known for a long time that the money owed to Darvish this season would not be paid to him, that he intended to do what was best for the organization financially. This is not unprecedented as Darvish also went on the Restricted List in 2024 while dealing with personal issues that required him to leave the team for an extended period.
Preller explained this took some time because of the legal issues and the amount of people involved in the decision-making but the process began a long time ago when Darvish decided to pull away from baseball after his surgery last year.
The Padres also have starter Griffin Canning rehabbing from Achilles surgery and there has been no timeline announced for his return. Relievers Yuki Matsui and Jason Adam also began the season on the IL and both are retroactive to March 22.
Mar 23, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) reacts after making a three point basket against the Memphis Grizzlies during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Hawks (41-32) look to take down Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics (48-24).
Jock Landle (right shoulder impingement) has been ruled out for this game.
Starting lineup:
G CJ McCollum
G Nickeil Alexander-Walker
F Dyson Daniels
F Jalen Johnson
C Onyeka Okongwu
Please join in the comments below as you follow along.
Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen
Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
Start Time: 7:30 PM EDT
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Southeast (FDSNSE)
Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)
Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network app, Fubo (out of market), NBA League Pass (out of market), Youtube TV (NBA League Pass out of market)
Foster had missed the entire ACC tournament – won by the Blue Devils – and first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament after suffering a foot fracture in the team's regular-season finale against North Carolina on March 7. He was not in the starting lineup against the Red Storm, but was cleared to play.
He finished Friday's game with 11 points (all in the second half) in 19 minutes, including some key late buckets to ice the game.
He's been seen at postseason games with his foot in a boot and riding on a one-legged scooter. Foster did participate in the Duke's shoot-around Thursday, March 26 during the session that was open to media.
There was optimism Foster could return at some point in the postseason.
"He had a good day of practice (Wednesday), doing a little bit," Duke coach Jon Scheyer said to media on March 26. "Again, it's not like there's a lot of practice time, but we have to make sure he's in position before the game, more of a game-time decision.
"He's going to give it everything he has to go ..."
The 6-foot-5 junior has started 30 of 31 games and is averaging 8.5 points per game and leads all regulars shooting 40.2% from the 3-point line.
Cayden Boozer has stepped into Foster's position in the starting lineup for the past five games. The freshman has averaged 13.8 points in those games. And more impressively, he has totaled 44 points, 14 assists and just four turnovers as Duke defeated Virginia in the ACC tournament title game and Siena and TCU in the NCAA Tournament.
Duke will have center Patrick Ngongba II available, as well. The sophomore was also injured in the North Carolina season-finale and returned for the team's second-round game against TCU. He scored 4 points and had 4 rebounds in 13 minutes.
It'll be a huge boost for the Blue Devils, getting back an experienced guard. True freshman Cayden Boozer has played well in Foster's absence, though, and may have earned more minutes in the meantime.
Jason Heyward accomplished a lot in his career: five gold gloves, an All-Star appearance and a memorable World Series title.
But after 16 years in the big leagues, the outfielder is calling it a career.
The 36-year-old told “MLB Central” on the league’s TV network on Friday that he is officially retiring from the game, saying he’s looking forward to being a “mentor” to up-and-coming players of the next generation.
Jason Heyward of the San Diego Padres hits a single against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning in their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on May 20, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Getty Images
“I look forward to being a potential mentor to any of the young players coming up, anybody that is in the game right now. I feel like the game’s in good hands in that sense, and I look forward to being a fan and seeing what other ways I can give back,” Heyward told ”Central.”
“Thank you to everybody that’s been there to support: the fans, teammates, coaches, staff, ownership groups, everyone and so on. Thank you for allowing me to live out my dream.”
Heyward, who was born in New Jersey but grew up in Georgia, was drafted by his hometown Braves in the first round of the 2007 draft and made his MLB debut in 2010. In his first big league at-bat, Heyward crushed a three-run home run at Atlanta’s Turner Field.
It proved to be the catalyst in a memorable rookie campaign that saw him get named to the National League All-Star team and finish second in the Rookie of the Year voting to Giants catcher Buster Posey.
Jason Heyward of the Atlanta Braves makes a catch against the Baltimore Orioles at Turner Field on June 16, 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia. Getty Images
He played four more years in Atlanta and won his first two Gold Gloves before getting traded to the Cardinals ahead of the 2015 season. He produced a .797 OPS and another Gold Glove in St. Louis that season, which earned him an eight-year, $184 million contract with the Cubs.
The contract mostly didn’t pan out, as he hit .245/.323/.377 over seven seasons, but he did win two more awards for his defensive prowess.
However, memorably, during Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, Heyward gave a speech to his Cubs teammates during a rain delay after Chicago had blown a lead late to Cleveland.
Chicago Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward (22) holds up the commissioners trophy during the Chicago Cubs World Series victory rally on November 4, 2016, at Grant Park in Chicago, IL. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Cubs rallied in the 10th inning to win their first World Series in 108 years.
“I told them I love them,” Heyward told reporters after winning it all. “I told them I’m proud of the way they overcame everything together. I told them everyone has to look in the mirror, and know everyone contributed to this season and to where we are at this point.
“I said, ‘I don’t know how it’s going to happen, how we’re going to do it, but let’s go out and try to get a W.'”
Heyward later had stints with the Dodgers and Astros before finishing his career with the Padres last season. He finishes with 186 home runs, 730 RBIs and a .744 OPS.
It has been a busy six months since the 2025 season ended at Coors Field with a loss to the Giants, capping off the most torturous season in franchise history.
The Rockies finished 2025 on a six-game losing streak enroute to 119 total losses on the season — a number that still doesn’t quite feel real.
A lot can change over the winter.
This offseason brought sweeping changes. Paul DePodesta and Josh Byrnes were brought in to reshape the front office, signaling a long-overdue investment in analytics, player development, and infrastructure. A new coaching staff followed, reinforcing what the Rockies hope is a philosophical reset from top to bottom.
PECOTAprojects the Rockies for around 60 wins in 2026. That’s not contention, but a record of 60-102 would represent a 17-win improvement. No one is confusing this team with a miracle turnaround like the 2024 Royals, but for the first time in a long time, there’s at least a sense of direction.
The roster looks very different.
Over half the team has changed since last Opening Day. Kyle Karros will make his Opening Day debut, while TJ Rumfield is set for his Major League debut tonight. Overall, the roster is young — especially on the position player side, with only Brett Sullivan north of 30. The rotation is more experienced but features three new faces aiming to provide stability.
This may be the most intriguing Opening Day in franchise history — not because of expectations, but because of what could be taking shape. And it all starts tonight at loanDepot Park in Miami.
On the mound for Colorado is veteran lefty Kyle Freeland, making his franchise-record fifth Opening Day start (2019, 2022, 2024, 2025, 2026). A Colorado native, Freeland enters his 10th season coming off a 5–17, 4.98 ERA campaign across 31 starts. He’s at his best working with tempo and generating weak contact, mixing a fastball, curveball, cutter, and sweeper to keep hitters off balance.
Opposing him is former Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara for Miami. After returning from Tommy John surgery in 2025, the right-hander posted a 5.36 ERA over 31 starts but looked more like himself down the stretch, going 7–3 with a 3.33 ERA in his final 13 outings. He brings a balanced five-pitch mix anchored by an elite fastball.
One thing to watch early: the offense.
The Rockies quietly put together a strong spring, leading MLB with an .858 OPS andscoring 202 runs in 31 games. Just as encouraging, they cut down on strikeouts, finishing the spring with the 13th fewest.
The pitching lagged behind — posting the second-highest team ERA andallowing 209 runs — but the Rockies still finished the spring with a 15-15 record. For a team coming off three consecutive 100-loss seasons, that’s meaningful progress.
The question now: do those offensive gains carry over, and can the pitching catch up?
Luis Severino gets the Opening Day nod for the Athletics against the reigning American League champion Toronto Blue Jays | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images
The day we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived. A’s Opening Day baseball is hours, minutes or just seconds away. Granted, it’s not “our” opening day at “our’ our ballpark, we’ll have to wait another week for that celebration, but it is the start of the most promising season in recent memory.
There’s a buzz around this team that I haven’t sensed in a while, and it will all get started today as the reigning American League champs host our A’s for the weekend! Let’s hope that watching the Blue Jays hoist the American League Pennant will serve as even more motivation for this young and uber-talented team to take their play to the next level.
Taking the mound for the A’s today will be Luis Severino. The 32-year-old righty hopes to improve upon a rough first season in the Kelly-green and gold where he went 8-11 with a 4.45 ERA in 162 innings. He ended last season with a definite upswing and pitched well in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) this spring, so there is reason for optimism.
Severino will go up against 35-year-old righty Kevin Gausman. He finished the year with a 10-11 record over thirty-two starts. He logged a 3.99 ERA with 189 strikeouts for the Jays.
Gausman will face off against this lineup for Mark Kotsay’s A’s tonight at the Rogers Center in Toronto:
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MARCH 25: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics reacts to a foul called against him during the second half of the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at TD Garden on March 25, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics defeat the Thunder 119-109. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images
BOSTON — Jaylen Brown will miss Friday’s game between the Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks with left Achilles tendonitis. How severe — or concerning — that injury is remains to be seen, but Brown will miss time due to an Achilles injury for the first time this season.
He was previously listed on the injury report as questionable to play with left calf tightness. Both the exact injury and his official status were updated on Friday.
Joe Mazzulla declined to give much information about Brown’s status in his pregame press conference before Celtics-Hawks, but did offer that Brown was day-to-day.
When asked if the Achilles injury could keep Brown out of multiple games, Mazzulla simply repeated: “He’s day-to-day.”
Joe Mazzulla on Jaylen Brown, who is out with left Achilles tendonitis:
When asked if it’s an injury Brown suffered in Wednesday’s game, or if it’s something he was dealing with previously, Mazzulla said: “‘He’s just a little banged up.”
Outside of Brown, the Celtics should be mostly available ahead of Friday’s match-up. Derrick White (right knee contusion) and Neemias Queta (right thumb sprain) are both available after previously being listed as questionable. At the same time, Nikola Vucevic remains out as he continues to recover from a right ring finger fracture he suffered on March 6th.
This will be Jayson Tatum’s first game back without his co-star. He’s averaging 19.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game this season.
The Hawks are also mostly healthy, except for Jock Landale, who is out with a right shoulder impingement.
One day after the Mets began their season, Jonah Tong was on the hill for Triple-A Syracuse's Opening Day as they took on the Worcester Red Sox at Polar Park.
After a bit of a bumpy first inning in which he walked two, the right-hander settled down and looked good in his four innings of work, where he allowed no runs on one hit and those two free passes. The youngster also struck out four, including three of the last four batters he faced, but his outing was done following 73 pitches (42 strikes).
Tong featured his usual fastball/changeup combo while also throwing in some cutters and curveballs as he continues to work on adding to and refining his repertoire. His fastball reached as high as 97 mph, but was typically around 93-95 mph.
The 22-year-old got better as the game went on, retiring the final eight batters he faced. Had it not been for a first inning that saw him throw 33 pitches, Tong would've been able to pitch deeper into the game and possibly get the win.
Nevertheless, Tong left the game with a 2-0 lead after Jose Rojas hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning.
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 16: Gary Payton II #0 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on March 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors look to keep their two-game winning streak going as they take on the Washington Wizards on Friday night. The game will be played at 7:00 PM PT in San Francisco and can be watched on NBC Sports Bay Area.
While the Warriors picked up another win with a 109–106 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night, it didn’t come easy. Despite having the rare talent advantage over an injured and tanking Brooklyn team, Golden State found itself trailing by nine points heading into the fourth quarter. To Brooklyn’s credit, they took advantage of a travel-worn Warriors group that, as head coach Steve Kerr pointed out, had played in seven different cities over the past 11 days.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said Golden State “looked like a team that was playing our seventh game in 11 days in seven cities.” Noted the issues the turnovers are causing.
Fortunately, the Warriors had Gui Santos to keep them afloat, as he led the team with a career-high 31 points after returning to a starting role. Behind Santos, Golden State outscored the Nets 32–20 in the fourth quarter to secure the win in regulation.
Brazilian excellence 🇧🇷
Gui Santos becomes just the third Brazilian in NBA history to drop 31+ in a game. pic.twitter.com/iOCk1J8Ft9
Gary Payton II has quietly been one of the most efficient players on the team over the past several games. He shot a perfect 5-of-5 from the field on Wednesday night, 8-of-8 on Monday against the Dallas Mavericks, and made his last three shots the game prior to that against the Detroit Pistons. He has now made 16 consecutive field goals and is just three shy of tying the Warriors’ franchise record of 19 straight, set by Wilt Chamberlain.
Payton should have a strong opportunity to reach that milestone against a Wizards team he had success against just over a week ago. He went 7-of-10 from the field for 15 points in that matchup and now faces the Wizards again after they have lost nine of their last 10 games.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 22: Jalen Green #4 of the Phoenix Suns drives to the basket against Jrue Holiday #5 of the Portland Trail Blazers during the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 22, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Blazers defeated the Suns 92-77. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Eight games remain for the Phoenix Suns, and the picture is starting to settle. They sit three games clear of the eighth seed, planted firmly in that seventh spot in the Western Conference. It is not official, nothing ever is until the math says so, but it feels like this is where they are headed. So the climb out of the Play-In starts to fade, and the conversation shifts. Not where you are going, but who is coming to meet you there.
Right now, the Suns are three games up on the Los Angeles Clippers, who sit only a half game ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers. Lurking behind them are the Golden State Warriors, still trying to find enough traction to stay in the mix. That trio becomes the focus. That trio becomes the question.
And yeah, you play who you play. That is how this works. There is no dodging, no maneuvering, no trying to outsmart the bracket. The Suns are locked into their lane, and whoever shows up will be waiting on the other side of that first Play-In game.
But as a fan, it is a fun exercise. You look at matchups, you think about styles, you picture how it could unfold. It is part of the experience, part of the anticipation. We asked the question earlier this week in Suns Reacts, and the answer came through loud and clear. The overwhelming preference was Portland.
I find myself in that same lane. The Los Angeles Clippers have been playing real basketball for the past three months. They are connected, disciplined, and comfortable in who they are. That is not a team you want to see in a one-game setting. They make you work for everything, they stay within themselves, and they carry experience that shows up when the game tightens.
The Portland Trail Blazers are not a walk either, but the matchup feels different. It feels cleaner for Phoenix. As long as you do not let Donovan Clingan turn into prime Steph Curry and flip the math on you, the Suns walk into that game with the best player on the floor in Devin Booker. That matters. It always matters.
Against the Clippers, that edge is not as clear. Kawhi Leonard changes that equation. He is a proven winner, a Finals MVP twice over, and when he is right, he can control a game in a way few players can. That shifts the balance and creates doubt. And when you are talking about a single elimination environment, those margins carry weight.
So it makes sense that 63% of the community landed on Portland. It is not about avoiding competition. It is about understanding matchups and where you hold your advantages.
With only a handful of games left, the answer is coming soon, and it might not reveal itself until the final day. That is how tight this race is. And if you are looking at it from a betting perspective on FanDuel, it is hard to feel confident in any direction. The NBA has a way of flipping expectations, especially this time of year. At the end of it, none of it really matters until the ball goes up. You get your opponent, you take the floor, and you execute. That is the only part you control.
“The three-ball problem the Knicks are having is not an aberration. It’s chronic. They play a good team, they give up a lot of threes, they play a poor team…and tonight they’re not denying threes again”.
That was Walt Clyde Frazier, the color commentator for the Knicks, during Thursday night’s loss to the Hornets. And Frazier, who has long been known for his honesty, was pretty accurate in summing up one of the few weaknesses this otherwise very good team has. It’s been a sentiment lamented by many of the fans for some time now. And as his colleague, Mike Breen, mentioned, the Knicks have cleaned up some of this, but the team still struggles with limiting three-point opportunities overall.
As of Friday afternoon, the Knicks rank 19th in the opponent three-point percentage, and worse off, 22nd in the three-point attempts given up per game. Why is this? Some of it by choice. Similar to his predecessor, Tom Thibodeau, current head coach Mike Brown has opted to protect the paint and limit easy opportunities within the arc. That can lead to overhelping, which then creates a situation in which the defense is left in a constant state of recovery. For much of the last couple of months, the Knicks have found a good balance of defending the paint, while still getting back out to shooters, thanks in large part to good communication and solid effort. But, so long as that remains a core philosophy of this coaching staff, the Knicks will continue to have problems in that department.
But why is this a choice this team has made? Some of it boils down to simple philosophical preference. Some of it, though, is also linked to personnel issues. Not only are the Knicks not a very athletic team, but New York has the unenviable task of finding who to hide Jalen Brunson on defensively. Brunson, to his credit, has upped his defensive effort over the last few weeks, and there’s an argument to be made that he has played some of his best defense as a Knick during that stretch. Yet effort, anticipation, and smarts can only do so much. Brunson’s lack of size and athleticism puts a cap on just how effective he can be as a defender.
Jalen Brunson HAS TO GUARD one of
Lamelo Ball Kon Brandon Miller Miles Bridges Moussa
That might be the most difficult 5 in the EAST to try and hide him on.
With that being the case, it has become clear that he’s now a focal point of teams’ game plans on both ends. While teams have been keying in on how to slow down his scoring, they’ve also started to single him out and attack him more and more on the other end. Take last night’s game against the Hornets as an example. Against big, athletic teams like Charlotte, the Knicks must pick between having Brunson exert energy running through screens or guarding someone bigger. Thursday night, they chose the latter.
Now, having the undersized Brunson defend a much bigger Miles Bridges is far from ideal (see above). But if that’s the decision Brown goes with, he must stick to that plan, and trust Brunson to hold his own and make it tough on Bridges. Earlier this season, Brown spoke glowingly about Brunson’s defense, explaining how he doesn’t get the credit he deserves. If Brown really does trust Brunson’s one-on-one defense that much, he has to let him defend and live with the results.
Instead, though, the Knicks, after purposefully opting into that matchup repeatedly, compounded their transgression by doubling him in the post. The Hornets were already getting a lot of good looks from deep with their dribble penetration, as well as their offensive rebounding. But by ultimately choosing to start defensive possessions playing four-on-five, the Knicks allowed a team that likes to shoot threes an easy avenue to finding more of them.
There are two sides to this problem right now. The bad news is that this problem is unlikely to go away. They can continue to clean some things up. But it’s unlikely that they will completely change their philosophy or find a better way to hide Brunson defensively, given the makeup of the roster. The good news, though, is that not every team the Knicks are going to play is as good as the Hornets at finding, taking, and making threes. How many teams have guys that can hit shots like the one below? You could argue Charlotte has three in LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knuepell. Most teams have maybe one?
LOGO KNUEPPELL!
O Charlotte Hornets vai DOMINANDO o Knicks até aqui.
— Pisou Na Linha | NBA 🏀🇧🇷 (@pisounalinha) March 27, 2026
The Heat, 76ers, Raptors, Pistons, and Magic, all of whom the Knicks may end up playing in the playoffs, all rank in the bottom half of the league in three-point percentage, with the last four ranking 21st or lower. Meanwhile, the Hawks, Celtics, and Cavaliers, who could also eventually match up with the Knicks in the playoffs, rank in the top half, but only the Hawks rank in the top 10. And in terms of attempts per game, the Celtics, Cavaliers, and Hawks are the only teams that rank higher than 15th in the league, with the 76ers, Magic, Raptors, and Pistons all being in the bottom 10.
That may point to this issue not being quite as detrimental as it may seem. Another interesting note is that of the four teams in the league that currently hold a better defensive rating than the Knicks (Thunder, Pistons, Spurs, Celtics), three of those teams rank in the bottom half of the league in three-pointers given up per game. The Pistons, the only one of those four teams not in the bottom half, barely rank in the top half, coming in at 14th. That may seem like a good thing. But quality always matters.
And in this case, the numbers suggest that it’s not that the Knicks give up too many threes, it’s that they give up too many open threes. New York currently ranks 10th in the league in wide-open threes (no defender within six feet) given up per game. Of the top five defensive teams, only the Celtics give up more per game. This is also reflected in the fact that the Thunder is the only one of those top five defensive teams that give up a higher percentage from three than the Knicks.
So what does this all mean ultimately? The Knicks do struggle with giving up a lot of threes. They also happen to give up a lot of wide-open ones. But it’s not a backbreaker. And it doesn’t automatically make them a bad defensive team. Evident by the team’s recent success and the success of some of the best defenses in the league, giving up a lot of threes does not inherently mean you can’t defend. As stated earlier, how you give up said threes and what kind of threes you give up tend to matter more.
The Hornets just hit three straight triples the Knicks have no answer for this offense pic.twitter.com/EDCwXoZ4hZ
The Knicks can, and if they want to reach their goals, should continue to try and improve there, even if it’s on the margins. There are still plays like the ones above that have nothing to do with personnel or philosophy, and can be fixed with better communication and focus. But shooting is one of the more volatile things. On any given night, a good shooting team can shoot badly, and a good shooting team can shoot well. We’ve seen both happen to and against the Knicks. Will they lose games in the playoffs because of it? Likely. But not every potential playoff opponent is a great shooting team. If New York can continue to take care of business and execute in other areas of the game, their three-point defense may not end up being as detrimental as it sometimes seems.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 19: Cole Ragans #55 of the Kansas City Royals poses for a portrait during photo day at Surprise Stadium on February 19, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Jeremy Chen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The long winter has finally ended. Baseball is back. And while we got to laugh at the misfortunes of nearly half the teams in the league yesterday – seriously, Oneil Cruz seems very badly miscast as a centerfielder – it’s finally our turn to fret about our own team’s foibles. Let’s play ball!
Today’s starter for Kansas City is Cole Ragans, getting his third straight Opening Day start. He’ll be looking for his first win in such games, though. He took the loss against Minnesota in 2024 and could only watch from the bench as Sam Long got rocked for three runs in the tenth inning against the Guardians last year. Even after a ninth-inning rally forced the extra frame to begin with.
We all know that Ragans was hurt and had a much worse ERA last year. But pretty much every backing stat we have says he actually pitched significantly better than fourth-in-Cy-Young-voting campaign in 2024 – at least, when he was able to be on the mound. Keen-eyed Royals fans should watch not just to hope he stays healthy, but to see if he can pitch similarly to how he did last season while he’s at it. If he pitches a full season the way he did last year, he could end up the runaway favorite for the 2026 Cy Young Award.
Ragans has never faced Atlanta as a member of the Royals; he pitched three innings of relief against them in 2023 as a member of the Rangers and gave up four runs. But that was a long time ago and a very different Ragans. Atlanta’s offense somewhat resembles the 2025 Royals in that it has some absolute studs – Ronald Acuña Jr, Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson, and Austin Riley – and then a bunch of guys you mostly would rather weren’t in your lineup. Former Royals Mike Yastrzemski either isn’t in the lineup or shouldn’t be thanks to his splits.
The Royals, as an organization, are very familiar with Atlanta’s starter, Chris Sale, as he pitched for the White Sox for so many years. But they haven’t actually faced him since 2023, when he was still with the Red Sox. He’s a very different pitcher now than he was then, back to being absolutely elite when he’s on the mound, and the Royals are going to have their hands full.
Lineups
The Royals’ opening day lineup includes four players who weren’t on the team at this time last year. Maikel Garcia also returns to his old home at the top of the lineup after a monster 2025 and an even better WBC performance, after being left out of the Opening Day lineup last year.
The Royals are really leaning into their platoons, at least to start the year, with Starling Marte and Lane Thomas getting starts over Kyle Isbel and Jac Caglianone, who each figure to get the majority of the playing time at their positions over the course of the season. However, you can understand letting them sit against one of the very toughest lefties in the game. They could both enter as pinch hitters later in the contest.
I think it probably says something less than kind that the Royals’ plan for leadoff last year now bats seventh, and their “big” offseason acquisition is batting eighth. But Lane Thomas is having a lot of faith put in him to bat third today. Still, it may be Opening Day, but it’s also only one game out of 162. So let’s try not to panic too much about what this lineup construction means or how lineups will work for the rest of the year. Looking purely at the positive, it’s nice to see Manager Matt Quatraro leaning into the platoon matchups the front office built for him. We’ll just have to see whether they and he did well enough.
